The Gaelic Athletic Association was and is still sporting organization that is an important aspect of Irish community and Irish Identity.

The sport is ancient and has continuously been governed and organized since its official inception in 1884. The organization had been formed to manage and control Irish earlier times and to cement Irish identity.

Gaelic games had over a period been considered an Irish sport, but with the increasing movement of people from one continent to another in search of leisure, these games have continued to spread across different parts of the world.

As we speak today, the game has spread to five continents with Asia being a leading participant.

Throughout its existence in Asia, the Asian Gaelic Games has over a period impacted the lives of people across many nations in the Asian continent.

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We are going to look at some of the importance of the Asian Gaelic Games and how they have brought about change in the lives of both native and non-native Asians.

Importance of the Gaelic Games in Asia

Cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange is the swapping of languages, artifacts, and symbols between two or more people from diverse background. This social interaction is an essential tool in establishing cultural communication among people from different communities.

These games have therefore been used as a tool to bring people from different communities together and enable them to understand new values and customs, thus able to integrate themselves into this unique culture without the fear of being discriminated by natives.

School Integration

The idea of using sports in schools as a tool of integration has helped create strategies that have helped immigrants participate in games and therefore creating the opportunity of making new friends and learning different languages. The homes clubs have also played an important role of teaching students from local schools how to play various games in a fun and entertaining way.

This has helped bring down the fear that native individuals may have when it comes to interacting with foreigners from different countries. It has also helped promote sports and culture and allow the locals to have a positive image of the foreigners.

Supports Economic And Infrastructural Development

Through the games, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, and many other Asian nations have noticed a significant development in regards to infrastructure. Several stadia have been built in an effort to promote sports leading to a massive growth in sports infrastructure across many Asian Countries.

Sports can attract large numbers of people from both local and international places hence promoting businesses especially the transport and hotel industry which have in turn boosted the economy of the individual countries that participate in these games.

Creation of Job Opportunities

Due to the increased number of clubs, several people including coaches, technical managers, trainers and several others in the sports industry have been employed to help manage these teams hence creating more jobs which wouldn’t be there if the games never existed.

Though there are several other importance of the Asian Gaelic games, the above summarizes the most significant positive impacts of the games in Asia.

Game

Goal

Only a single goal separated the sides at the end with HK edging out the win.

Final Game

Our final game of the day was almost cancelled before it began with the weather turning “Malaysian” as we ran onto the pitch.

Forced The Game

Thunder, lightning and the slightly un-tropical freezing hailstone forced the game to be postponed for 40 minutes.

Team

The delay didn’t help our team, some of whom hadn’t seen hailstone in years, nevermind played in it!

Despite Jason Gorham seemingly scoring points for fun, a bad start left us chasing a very good Dubai side and they ran out winners in the end.Our final group game kicked off at 8:40am Sunday morning against a Japan side that needed to beat us to avoid being eliminated. Both sides held the lead at times throughout the game with Seamus Moriarty displaying a predator instinct with a few good goals.

The Eventual Winners

The game eventually finished level, knocking Japan out and sending us through to a quarter final against the tournament hosts, the Seoul Gaels.A poor start to the quarter final cost us dearly with 3 goals conceded in quick succession in the first half being the difference at the end of the game.Every player can be proud of the performance they gave over the 2 days and can take some small consolation that they were knocked out by the eventual winners.– Aidan Higgins

On Thursday October 14, a 20 member-strong advanced guard of the Mark squad travelled to Korea to play in the 2011 All Asian Gaelic Games tournament. We landed at the 21st century Incheon airport and embarked on a white-knucle taxi ride to ‘historic’ Suwon – the location of Ireland’s historic World Cup quarter final loss to Espana. The tournament was to be played at this stadium!

Most people associate skipping with children, and not as a sporting tool used by adults when working out or elite athletes. Sporting champions have used the jumping rope technique for their warm-up sessions and trainers have incorporated this as part of a proper cardio session for years now.

Apart from adding some fun and creativity to your sessions, you also get to burn calories which enhance your fitness levels. Here are 7 other reasons why skipping is such an amazing sport, and why it’s worth considering.

Enhances Coordination

Skipping is a cyclic activity. You don’t just skip rope once or twice and stop, but you go on for a number of rounds. This steady and regular cadence helps to enhance the coordination between your hands, eyes, and feet.

Reduced Risk Of Lower Leg Injuries

Are you prone to lower leg injuries every time you try working out or running? Skipping might help with that. By jumping ripe, you get to increase the resilience and elasticity of your lower leg muscles. Your calf muscles are strengthened making the surrounding tendons and fascia more elastic. A great tip is to first land on the ball of your foot when skipping, and allow your heels to go all the way down to the ground. This is one sure way of increasing elasticity in your leg muscles.

Improves Cognitive Function

You don’t skip in the same manner all the time. Rather, you learn new motor patterns each time. This has been known to improve your nervous system and the way it communicates with your brain, lower leg muscles, and wrists. As a result, there is an improvement in your cognitive function, which is beneficial as you get older.

Jumping Ropes Are Portable

Skipping is one sport which you can perform anywhere in the world. It’s quite handy for travelers and athletes. Reason being, you can always pack your jumping rope and take it with you wherever you go.

Despite most hotels providing guests with a basic exercise room, having your rope comes in handy. Most of the equipment provided is questionable at best, and you’re better off skipping away.

Moreover, there are parks with pull-up bars among other outdoor workout facilities. You can always get a full busy workout by combining your jump rope with the available equipment.

Increases Intensity Of Circuit Training Routines

If strength training is part of your workout routine, you are constantly alternating between different muscle groups. These have cardiorespiratory benefits and also increase your heart rate. Another way to increase the intensity of such sessions is by adding jump rope stations to your routine. This can be about 2-3 minutes of steady skipping at the end of each strength training session.

Jumping Ropes Can Be Periodized

You can use different ropes, all depending on what your goal is. This is unlike so many sporting and exercise equipment out there. If you want to improve on your footwork, go for the lighter speed ropes. These are also excellent in interval style training, anaerobic and coordination. Heavier ropes redesigned to enhance power and help with upper body strength and endurance. Moreover, combat athletes use heavier ropes for their power endurance training. It helps them perform tense moves, required for a constant period of time.

Great For Home Workouts

Do you love working out at home but cannot afford to buy the necessary equipment? All you need is a space and a jumping rope and you are set for a great cardio session. A jumping rope is the only piece of equipment you need to burn some calories right at the comfort of your own home.…

Being home to sundry sports, Asia is known as the origin of so many sports which are now famous all over the world. Over the years, Asians have competed with other countries, through their national teams on an international level. They have gone on to produce the most outstanding players in various games. Here are the top 4 popular games played in Asian countries.

Polo

Polo is a sport which originated in central Asia between 6 BC and 1 AD, is played between two teams on a horseback. It is enjoyed by many Asian countries, including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. The main objective when playing polo is to score goals. The Shandur Top located in Chitral, Pakistan is the highest polo ground in Asia, measuring about 3700 meters.

Cricket

Did you know that India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have the highest test status in the world when it comes to cricket? This is one of the most popular games in Asia. In 1983, the Asia Cricket Council was formed, to oversee and promote the game across the continent. Moreover, they hold the Asia Cup after every two years, not only for competition but to also promote goodwill among the countries in the continent. The BCCI, which is the body governing cricket in India is known as the world’s richest organization.

Hockey

There are different variations of hockey, which is played by two teams, each trying to drive a ball to score goals. Field hockey is the most popular one in Asia, and it’s controlled by the Asian Hockey Federation. Did you know that this is the national game of India and Pakistan? The federation also oversees the game for thirty other countries, which include Japan, Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Korea and Pakistan.

Buzkashi

This sport, mostly played in central Asia involves players dragging goats while on a horseback. Carcasses of goats or calves are used. It was invented Turk Mongols. This is a nomadic tribe who came up with Buzkashi during their migration from the northeast to western Asia. This was between the 10th and 15th century. The aim is to get the goats towards the goal.

Buzkashi is quite a thrilling game, reason why its Afghanistan’s national sport. It’s also enjoyed in other countries such as Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

There are other popular games in Asia which did not make the list. These include badminton, table tennis, swimming, and golf. All these are played at the Asiad, which is a multi-sport event for Asian countries held every four years. It’s considered the second biggest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics.…

The number of people engaging in sports and fitness activities has been on the rice in the past few years. Consequently, the number of injuries due to use of improper sport fitness accessories has increased. Physical fitness is beneficial for your health and though there are a number of risks involved, the benefits outweigh the risks. The usage of right sports accessories for fitness training is therefore essential if you want to avoid injuries and make your training a success. Here are some of the most popular sports accessories that you can use during your fitness training:

Sports shoes

These are the most popular sporting accessories that any fitness enthusiast cannot do without. Sports shoes are mostly used in the gym but are also essential for doing exercises outside the gym. The right pair of sports shoes will help prevent falls and make you feel comfortable during your fitness training.

Knee and wrist wrap

Injuries can be a nightmare to any fitness enthusiast and depending on the severity, they can keep you away from training for a long time. It is therefore essential to precautions before starting any workout. Knee wraps are specially designed to support your knees when performing heavy exercises such as squats where your knees always come under pressure. Wrist wraps on the other hand help support your wrist when performing push or pull movements, hence reducing the risks of suffering strains.

Liquid chalk

Sweating can cause problems when it comes to gripping of equipment such as dumbbells, barbells or any other objects. Liquid chalk is therefore commonly used to enhance a strong grip, especially when lifting heavy lifts such as deadlifts or shrugs.

The list of sports accessories for fitness training is long and cannot be exhausted in this single article. Other accessories for fitness training include sportswear, water bottle, lifting straps, gym bag, swimsuit, swimming cap, and swimming goggles for swimmers among many other accessories.…

The national sport of Malaysia is known as Sepak Takraw. It is a game in which the participants must kick the ball commonly known as takraw ball over the net. A takraw ball is a hollow ball made from woven palm stems or rattan. This sport is more or less the same as volley or badminton except that players in this game don’t use their hands to kick the ball.

Players in this game can use their legs, feet, chest, head and knees to knock the takraw ball over the net. This sport began in Southeast Asia and is very common in Malaysia. The game has also gained popularity in other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Laos among other Asian nations. This sport is played in different variations in different nations. Apart from sepak takraw, badminton is also another popular game in Malaysia.

How to Play Sepak Takraw

Sepak Takraw is a game played between two teams with three players on either side. The players position include; the right inside, left inside, and the back. The playing court is just similar to the badminton court and the net is about 1.5 metres high. Initially, the traditional ball was made from woven rattan, bamboo, or even woven palm stems. Today, the modern ball is made from synthetic and is very durable.

The basic rules for playing and scoring in this game are similar to volleyball rules. Each team is only allowed to make a maximum of three touches of the ball and get it over the net to the opponent’s side without letting it touch the ground. The first team to accumulate either 15 or 21 points, based on the rules of the game, wins the set. To win the match, a team has to prevail in two sets.

Playing begins by the server tossing the Takraw ball while retaining one leg in a small circle also known as the ‘serving circle” He or she must then kick the ball using the other foot over the net and to the other side.

After that, the game is played in a similar way as volleyball and the volleyball rules basically apply, apart from the fact that players cannot touch the ball using their hands or arms.

Top takraw gamers must incorporate excellent foot-eye coordination with speed, expectation, energy, overall flexibility, and a few acrobatic skills.

I hope that by reading through this article, you now have the basic knowledge about the national sport for Malaysia and how it is played.…

Gaelic games are national sports played in Ireland which have two main games such as the Gaelic football and hurling. Gaelic games are being governed by Irish Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

These games are the most popular sports ever played in Ireland as it always attract massive attendance. And they detest the use of unnatural supplements but allow fitness or gym stacks for athletes.

Because of the love of Irish people in Gaelic sports, they took these games with them whenever they travel around the world so that they can feel home whenever nostalgia strikes. Their passion influenced people from all nationalities and that they ended up embracing these kinds of sports.

Gaelic Athletic Association became prominent around the world. It has links from UK to United States and in Asia as well. It has been played by Asians from different Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan coining up the term Asian Gaelic Games.

This year, the 22ndAsian Gaelic Games was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 18-19 November 2017 which featured 65 teams representing 20 clubs from across 18 countries in Asia and accommodated 700 athletes. It was sponsored by FEXCO which is Ireland’s largest owned financial technology company in the private sector.

It was in 2007 that the ThaiGAA was established by John Campbell when he spent 2006 in Taipei and found himself playing with the Taiwan Celts Gaelic football team. When he returned to Thailand, he worked with Derek Martin, Padraic Ellicott and Ultan Peters and in 2007, ThaiGAA was able to send their representatives to participate in the 2007 Asian Gaelic Games held in Singapore. The ThaiGAA had a very remarkable competitive start.

As of the recent recording, ThaiGAA fields a total of five teams which include one team for ladies football, two for men’s football and a team for men’s hurling team. There is an upsurge in interest for participating in ThaiGAA and it was influenced by the success of the ladies’ team.

The club is continuously growing and caters new members every week which marks their increasing number. Their goal is to involve more players in the younger age groups as there are some international schools that play Gaelic games.

ThaiGAA had a notable participation during the recently held 22nd Asian Gaelic Games on 18-19 November 2017 sponsored by FEXCO. Aside from the fact that it was the second time they hosted in the event, they introduced an all Thai team for the first time in ThaiGAA’s history.

This team were trained accordingly by Kevin MacHugh and Niall Geraghty and showed them the skills that they needed in order to be a competitive team. The all Bangkok born men’s football team members were thrilled by the experience.

They had a very good initial game play and enjoyed the sports and the camaraderie that came with it. The all Thai team is in continuous training in preparation for other upcoming Gaelic sports events in the Asian Region.

The ThaiGAA established an all Thai men’s team because they find it a good opportunity to develop Gaelic games not only in Thailand and but also across Asia. This is to show all Asians that even Gaelic games are Irish in nature, it has become a world class sports played in different parts of the world and that everyone is welcome to engage.…

Pai Gow Poker is an American version of Pai Gow, an ancient local Asian game gamed with tiles that appear like dominoes. To make it simple, Pai Gow was launched in the American market using universal 52-card joker and Dec. As laid out in the regulations of Pai Gow Poker, you may use the joker as a wild card or an Ace to finish a Straight, a Flush, or a Straight Flush.

Basics of Pai Gow Poker:

To begin playing Pai Gow Poker, you have to place a wager based on the table minimum. After all bets are made, all participants at the table are presented with seven cards and must make two poker hands; a standard five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. The five-card hand is frequently known as the high, bottom, big hand or behind while the two-card hand is commonly known as on top, minor, low, small, or in front hand.

When making two hands from the seven cards, ensure your five-card hand has higher cards than your two-card hand. If you have the highest cards on your two-card hand, it’s known as a” Foul,” and you will automatically lose the game.

Generally, five-card hands maintains the set winning poker hand rules, while two-card hands are basically pairs and high cards. The greatest two-card hand is a set of Aces, and the worst is a hand that has 3 and 2.

As soon as your two hands have the cards in the order you like, put them on the table with the two-card hand in front and the five-card at the behind, thus the nicknames. Your primary aim is to win both hands against the banker, and in this situation, one of the players at the dealer or table can be a banker.

Determining the Winner:

In an effort to determine the winner, all the participants’ hands are compared to the banker’s hands. If both of your hands are superior to the banker’s hands, you will be declared the winner. If your single hand surpasses the banker, that round will be considered as a push or draw in which you do not win or lose. However, if both hands of the banker are superior to yours, you lose your bet. You also lose the bet if you tie with the banker.

Playing Tips of Pai Gow Poker:

At any given opportunity you get, always strive to be the banker because bankers have an upper hand when it comes to winning in comparison to other players. However, it is advisable that you have sufficient amount of money since you will be covering all the bets of other players if they win.

Also, attempt to balance out both two-card hand and five-card hand to increase b your chances of winning, since some gamers only pay attention to the five-card hand and forget about the two-card hand or vice versa.…

In the days leading up to the weekend of the 15th and 16th of October 2011, Mark packed their collective bags, and 4 teams headed to South Korea to take part in the 2011 Asian Gaelic Games in Suwon. Below is a summary of each teams experiences at the games from the respective team captains. Congratulations to our ladies A team on winning the ladies Plate for the 2nd year in a row, and to the 3 ladies who won well-deserved All-Star awards – Ciara Quigley, Alexa Trout and Jenn Collins. Photos will be uploaded here in the next few weeks, but you can also check our Facebook page for photos, and check out the official games website for some more photos. The yellow shirts of Mark from the opening ceremony are hard to miss, and you’ll find photos from both our ladies teams further down the page.